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PortsToronto launches Phase II of Seabin Pilot Program at Toronto's Inner Harbour

October 10, 2019

Following the success of this past summer’s Seabin Pilot Program at Toronto’s Outer Harbour Marina, PortsToronto announced October 10 a second phase that includes the deployment of two additional Seabins – this time within Toronto’s Inner Harbour.

Secured to a floating dock positioned in the northeast corner of the York Street Slip, the new Seabins are the first to be installed in a North American harbour. They collect litter ranging from larger plastics to microplastics as small as two millimetres, as well as hydrocarbons such as fuel and oil. Strategically positioned in the slip to facilitate the wind and currents pushing debris in their direction, the Seabins will be able to collect upward of four kilograms of debris a day –  filtering as much as 1.4 metric tons of trash annually.

Findings from Phase I of the Seabin Pilot Program indicate that each Seabin at the Outer Harbour Marina typically collects two kilograms of litter daily and captured items ranging from floating natural debris to disposable gloves, plastic bottle caps, cigarette butts, Styrofoam pieces and plastic grocery bags. The bins also trapped microplastics, including industrial plastic pellets.

Seabins were invented in 2014 by Australian surfers concerned by the amount of ocean plastic pollution. The Seabin works by moving up and down with the natural flow of water, collecting all floating debris. Surface water passes through a catch bag inside the Seabin, with a submersible water pump that is plugged directly into 110/22V outlet and capable of displacing 25.000 litres hourly. The water is then pumped back into the harbour, leaving the litter and debris trapped in the catch bag to be disposed of properly.